Tommer45
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 195
- Location
- New Jersey
I'm not sure if I've ever dedicated a full thread to my straight-zip Cascade, and since I've recently had a little work done to it I figured I might as well post about it.
Back in 2007 I took delivery of a modified Cascade with a straight zipper, cafe racer collar, 'hidden' elbow pads from their Japan site, Scovill zipper and a Rust colored cowhide (a $50 option at the time). Like other brown Langlitz jackets the color was pretty flat.. not much to look at. I immediately knew upon opening the package that I was not going to enjoy the color. I wore it for two months over the fall and decided I needed to try something before I'd have to sell the jacket.
I had been dabbling in leatherwork.. belts, wallets, knife sheaths, etc, and had some experience in dying leather. So I grew a pair of balls and went to work on my $900 jacket.
Here was the original..
After two coats of Feibing's Dark Brown leather dye, a good sponging, and then a heavy application of leather dressing, this is what the jacket became...
The jacket turned out far better than I could have ever imagined. It was the ideal color... exactly what I was going for. The flat colored leather now had that deep, rich look to it. I continued to wear the jacket for years. Lots of rain, snow and sun. Thousands upon thousands of miles on the motorcycle. The color held up great... sure it faded over time but it really made the jacket look like something special. I would regularly receive emails from forum members asking me if the jacket was for sale. I always got a kick out of how popular it had become. Some of you might recognize these pics from past posts...
Well a couple of years ago things changed and I hated the look of the cafe racer collar. I shelved the jacket and never wore it again. I recently went through my pile of unworn leathers, and came across it. I remembered all the good times in that jacket and decided to email Scott at Langlitz and ask if I could have a dress collar put on. Scott said they sure could, and they still had enough Rust color leather in stock to make a collar. He also informed me that he keeps my order form in his desk because he gets so many emails asking for my exact jacket. He said the jacket has become somewhat of a celebrity around the shop, and he was excited to get it back and see it in person. I thought that was really cool. He also said the color of my jacket is requested all the time, and he sadly has to inform them that it was a custom dye job.
Anyway, the jacket has returned, the dying has been done, and the jacket is ready for more years of abuse.
Well thanks for reading, guys. I haven't been on the forums in a while... kids and work seem to take up all of my time these past few years. Enjoy those leathers of yours.
Tom
Back in 2007 I took delivery of a modified Cascade with a straight zipper, cafe racer collar, 'hidden' elbow pads from their Japan site, Scovill zipper and a Rust colored cowhide (a $50 option at the time). Like other brown Langlitz jackets the color was pretty flat.. not much to look at. I immediately knew upon opening the package that I was not going to enjoy the color. I wore it for two months over the fall and decided I needed to try something before I'd have to sell the jacket.
I had been dabbling in leatherwork.. belts, wallets, knife sheaths, etc, and had some experience in dying leather. So I grew a pair of balls and went to work on my $900 jacket.
Here was the original..
After two coats of Feibing's Dark Brown leather dye, a good sponging, and then a heavy application of leather dressing, this is what the jacket became...
The jacket turned out far better than I could have ever imagined. It was the ideal color... exactly what I was going for. The flat colored leather now had that deep, rich look to it. I continued to wear the jacket for years. Lots of rain, snow and sun. Thousands upon thousands of miles on the motorcycle. The color held up great... sure it faded over time but it really made the jacket look like something special. I would regularly receive emails from forum members asking me if the jacket was for sale. I always got a kick out of how popular it had become. Some of you might recognize these pics from past posts...
Well a couple of years ago things changed and I hated the look of the cafe racer collar. I shelved the jacket and never wore it again. I recently went through my pile of unworn leathers, and came across it. I remembered all the good times in that jacket and decided to email Scott at Langlitz and ask if I could have a dress collar put on. Scott said they sure could, and they still had enough Rust color leather in stock to make a collar. He also informed me that he keeps my order form in his desk because he gets so many emails asking for my exact jacket. He said the jacket has become somewhat of a celebrity around the shop, and he was excited to get it back and see it in person. I thought that was really cool. He also said the color of my jacket is requested all the time, and he sadly has to inform them that it was a custom dye job.
Anyway, the jacket has returned, the dying has been done, and the jacket is ready for more years of abuse.
Well thanks for reading, guys. I haven't been on the forums in a while... kids and work seem to take up all of my time these past few years. Enjoy those leathers of yours.
Tom
